安徒生童话- 第116部分

〃Stern　death；　thy　chilling　silence　waketh　dread；

　　　Yet　in　thy　darkest　hour　there　may　be　light。

Earth's　garden　reaper！　from　the　grave's　cold　bed

　　　The　soul　on　Jacob's　ladder　takes　her　flight。

Man's　greatest　sorrows　often　are　a　part

　Of　hidden　griefs；　concealed　from　human　eyes；

Which　press　far　heavier　on　the　lonely　heart

　　Than　now　the　earth　that　on　his　coffin　lies。〃

Two　figures　were　moving　about　the　room；　we　know　them　both。　One　wasthe　fairy　named　Care；　the　other　the　messenger　of　Fortune。　They　bentover　the　dead。

〃Look！〃　said　Care；　〃what　happiness　have　your　goloshes　brought　tomankind？〃

〃They　have　at　least　brought　lasting　happiness　to　him　whoslumbers　here；〃　she　said。

〃Not　so；〃　said　Care；　〃he　went　away　of　himself；　he　was　notsummoned。　His　mental　powers　were　not　strong　enough　to　discern　thetreasures　which　he　had　been　destined　to　discover。　I　will　do　him　afavor　now。〃　And　she　drew　the　goloshes　from　his　feet。

The　sleep　of　death　was　ended；　and　the　recovered　man　raisedhimself。　Care　vanished；　and　with　her　the　goloshes；　doubtless　shelooked　upon　them　as　her　own　property。

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

THE　HAPPY　FAMILY

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

THE　largest　green　leaf　in　this　country　is　certainly　theburdock…leaf。　If　you　hold　it　in　front　of　you；　it　is　large　enough　foran　apron；　and　if　you　hold　it　over　your　head；　it　is　almost　as　good　asan　umbrella；　it　is　so　wonderfully　large。　A　burdock　never　growsalone；　where　it　grows；　there　are　many　more；　and　it　is　a　splendidsight；　and　all　this　splendor　is　good　for　snails。　The　great　whitesnails；　which　grand　people　in　olden　times　used　to　have　made　intofricassees；　and　when　they　had　eaten　them；　they　would　say；　〃O；　what　adelicious　dish！〃　for　these　people　really　thought　them　good；　andthese　snails　lived　on　burdock…leaves；　and　for　them　the　burdock　wasplanted。

There　was　once　an　old　estate　where　no　one　now　lived　to　requiresnails；　indeed；　the　owners　had　all　died　out；　but　the　burdock　stillflourished；　it　grew　over　all　the　beds　and　walks　of　the　garden…　itsgrowth　had　no　check…　till　it　became　at　last　quite　a　forest　ofburdocks。　Here　and　there　stood　an　apple　or　a　plum…tree；　but　forthis；　nobody　would　have　thought　the　place　had　ever　been　a　garden。　Itwas　burdock　from　one　end　to　the　other；　and　here　lived　the　last　twosurviving　snails。　They　knew　not　themselves　how　old　they　were；　but　theycould　remember　the　time　when　there　were　a　great　many　more　of　them；　andthat　they　were　descended　from　a　family　which　came　from　foreignlands；　and　that　the　whole　forest　had　been　planted　for　them　and　theirs。They　had　never　been　away　from　the　garden；　but　they　knew　that　anotherplace　once　existed　in　the　world；　called　the　Duke's　Palace　Castle；　inwhich　some　of　their　relations　had　been　boiled　till　they　becameblack；　and　were　then　laid　on　a　silver　dish；　but　what　was　doneafterwards　they　did　not　know。　Besides；　they　could　not　imagineexactly　how　it　felt　to　be　boiled　and　placed　on　a　silver　dish；　but　nodoubt　it　was　something　very　fine　and　highly　genteel。　Neither　thecockchafer；　nor　the　toad；　nor　the　earth…worm；　whom　they　questionedabout　it；　would　give　them　the　least　information；　for　none　of　theirrelations　had　ever　been　cooked　or　served　on　a　silver　dish。　The　oldwhite　snails　were　the　most　aristocratic　race　in　the　world；…　theyknew　that。　The　forest　had　been　planted　for　them；　and　the　nobleman'scastle　had　been　built　entirely　that　they　might　be　cooked　and　laid　onsilver　dishes。

They　lived　quite　retired　and　very　happily；　and　as　they　had　nochildren　of　their　own；　they　had　adopted　a　little　mon　snail；　whichthey　brought　up　as　their　own　child。　The　little　one　would　not　grow；　forhe　was　only　a　mon　snail；　but　the　old　people；　particularly　themother…snail；　declared　that　she　could　easily　see　how　he　grew；　and　whenthe　father　said　he　could　not　perceive　it；　she　begged　him　to　feel　thelittle　snail's　shell；　and　he　did　so；　and　found　that　the　mother　wasright。

One　day　it　rained　very　fast。　〃Listen；　what　a　drumming　there　ison　the　burdock…leaves；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；　turn；〃　said　thefather…snail。

〃There　e　the　drops；〃　said　the　mother；　〃they　are　tricklingdown　the　stalks。　We　shall　have　it　very　wet　here　presently。　I　am　veryglad　we　have　such　good　houses；　and　that　the　little　one　has　one　ofhis　own。　There　has　been　really　more　done　for　us　than　for　any　othercreature；　it　is　quite　plain　that　we　are　the　most　noble　people　in　theworld。　We　have　houses　from　our　birth；　and　the　burdock　forest　hasbeen　planted　for　us。　I　should　very　much　like　to　know　how　far　itextends；　and　what　lies　beyond　it。〃

〃There　can　be　nothing　better　than　we　have　here；〃　said　thefather…snail；　〃I　wish　for　nothing　more。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　do；〃　said　the　mother；　〃I　should　like　to　be　taken　tothe　palace；　and　boiled；　and　laid　upon　a　silver　dish；　as　was　done　toall　our　ancestors；　and　you　may　be　sure　it　must　be　something　veryunmon。〃

〃The　nobleman's　castle；　perhaps；　has　fallen　to　decay；〃　said　thesnail…father；　or　the　burdock　wood　may　have　grown　out。　You　need　notbe　in　a　hurry；　you　are　always　so　impatient；　and　the　youngster　isgetting　just　the　same。　He　has　been　three　days　creeping　to　the　top　ofthat　stalk。　I　feel　quite　giddy　when　I　look　at　him。〃

〃You　must　not　scold　him；〃　said　the　mother…snail；　〃he　creeps　sovery　carefully。　He　will　be　the　joy　of　our　home；　and　we　old　folkshave　nothing　else　to　live　for。　But　have　you　ever　thought　where　weare　to　get　a　wife　for　him？　Do　you　think　that　farther　out　in　the　woodthere　may　be　others　of　our　race？〃

〃There　may　be　black　snails；　no　doubt；〃　said　the　old　snail；〃black　snails　without　houses；　but　they　are　so　vulgar　and　conceitedtoo。　But　we　can　give　the　ants　a　mission；　they　run　here　and　there；as　if　they　all　had　so　much　business　to　get　through。　They；　most　likely；will　know　of　a　wife　for　our　youngster。〃

〃I　certainly　know　a　most　beautiful　bride；〃　said　one　of　the　ants；〃but　I　fear　it　would　not　do；　for　she　is　a　queen。〃

〃That　does　not　matter；〃　said　the　old　snail；　〃has　she　a　house？〃

〃She　has　a　palace；〃　replied　the　ant；…　〃a　most　beautiful　ant…palacewith　seven　hundred　passages。〃

〃Thank…you；〃　said　the　mother…snail；　〃but　our　boy　shall　not　go　tolive　in　an　ant…hill。　If　you　know　of　nothing　better；　we　will　give　themission　to　the　white　gnats；　they　fly　about　in　rain　and　sunshine；they　know　the　burdock　wood　from　one　end　to　the　other。〃

〃We　have　a　wife　for　him；〃　said　the　gnats；　〃a　hundred　man…stepsfrom　here　there　is　a　little　snail　with　a　house；　sitting　on　agooseberry…bush；　she　is　quite　alone；　and　old　enough　to　be　married。It　is　only　a　hundred　man…steps　from　here。〃

〃Then　let　her　e　to　him；〃　said　the　old　people。　〃He　has　the　wholeburdock　forest；　she　has　only　a　bush。〃

So　they　brought　the　little　lady…snail。　She　took　eight　days　toperform　the　journey；　but　that　was　just　as　it　ought　to　be；　for　itshowed　her　to　be　one　of　the　right　breeding。　And　then　they　had　awedding。　Six　glow…worms　gave　as　much　light　as　they　could；　but　in　otherrespects　it　was　all　very　quiet；　for　the　old　snails　could　not　bearfestivities　or　a　crowd。　But　a　beautiful　speech　was　made　by　themother…snail。　The　father　could　not　speak；　he　was　too　much　overe。Then　they　gave　the　whole　burdock　forest　to　the　young　snails　as　aninheritance；　and　repeated　what　they　had　so　often　said；　that　it　was　thefines